This invention relates to an improved handheld cutter for use in cutting mounting board and like materials.
A standard cutter, long in use for this purpose, and known as the Dexter cutter, is described and claimed in expired U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,010. This cutter enables the use of replaceable cutting blades and enables adjustment of both the cutting angle and the depth of the cut. However, one cannot adjust the depth of cut without losing the cutting angle, so that has to be reset.
One object of the present invention is to make adjustment of blade depth and of cutting angle easier and to make adjustment of the depth of cut entirely independent from the adjustment of the blade angle.
The Dexter cutter is basically designed for straight cuts, in conjunction with a suitable straight edge. Attachments to enable it to make circular cuts have not proven satisfactory.
Another object of the invention is to provide a simple attachment enabling the cutter to make circular cuts of various radii with the aid of a radius rod.
An additional object is to enable the cutter to cut parallel to an edge of the mounting board, using another simple attachment. Further, the device is well adapted to follow French curves and to make freehand cuts.
Prior-art cutters have been relatively heavy, have occasioned inconveniences in use, have enabled only rather narrow adjustment of the cutting angle, and have even tended to tear mats when making a straight cut. Prior-art cutters have also had a rather high coefficient of friction against the surface being cut, so that cutting often required a considerable amount of manual force.
Other objects of this invention include solving or ameliorating these problems. The device of this invention can be light in weight, easy to handle, convenient to use. The blade may be adjusted to an angle of 45.degree. on either side of vertical. The cutter has a low-friction bottom surface so that cutting requires much less force than heretofore, and the cutter can also be shaped to reduce the liklihood of tearing the mat during cutting.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.